How I Fight Procrastination and Usually Win

3) Managing Energy

Have you ever felt like you just don’t have energy to complete a task?

Personally, I’ve noticed that certain times of the day give me more energy, while other times of the day leave me feeling drained. Therefore, I try to plan tasks needing less mental or physical energy for lower-energy time, and I save more challenging tasks for those times when I know my energy level will be higher.

For example, reviews, email, and research come when I have less energy. Debugging and other high-focus tasks come when I know I’ll have more energy.

If I know I have a very demanding week ahead, I schedule the more difficult tasks early in the week when I’m fresh. I also take my current physical state into account. If I have a cold, then it’s probably not the best day to design a new application. On those days, I tackle jobs that require less physical and mental agility. If I’m unexpectedly energetic right before lunch, then I’ll pivot and pick up a task that needs extra energy.

When I need a quick energy boost to finish a high-focus task, moving around or taking a short walk can do wonders to get my energy back up. When I just can’t seem to focus at all, I’ve found a nice long outdoor stroll, exercise, or a hike in the woods does wonders to clear my mind for the next days. Sometimes my breaks between pomodoros are composed of short walks. Find what gets your energy up and work it into your day.

Despite all my planning and my processes, sometimes I still have to delay a task until another time. But when I’m not hiding behind procrastination, I can push back a task without guilt.

Where to Go From Here?

There’s been a lot to absorb in this article…assuming you didn’t put off reading it! :]

Beating procrastination is far from a simple process. Everyone’s reasons for putting things off are different; you’ll find that some of these ideas and techniques work for you, and others don’t work as well.

Looking for a simple way to start? Start with removing distractions. It doesn’t take a lot of time to turn off notifications on your phone — and fiddling with your phone is a fun bit of procrastination in itself! Also close every app and program on your workstation that you don’t absolutely need. You’ll see an immediate boost in focus when you don’t have 23 apps vying for your attention.

Check out Ray Wenderlich’s amazing Inspiration Talk from RWDevCon 2016, Feed Your Fire, that covers motivation and procrastination, including the concept of internal vs. external motivation. If you’re going to kill time watching videos, you might as well be learning something! :]

If you’re looking for more approaches to beating procrastination, here are some great resources that cover the techniques discussed here and many more:

• Getting Things Done by David Allen
• The Now Habit by Neil Fiore
• Pomodoro Technique Illustrated by Staffan Noteberg
• The Procrastinator’s Handbook by Rita Emmet
• Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It by Jane B. Burka and Lenora M. Yuen

If you have any comments or questions about this article, come share them in the discussion below. And don’t wait for later — do it now! :]